What You Need to Do

Read and respond to a workplace scenario that presents an ethical dilemma in at least two Discussion posts. In your response, address what you would do in the situation and suggest strategies to avoid the dilemma in the future. Discuss the posted options with your group as you consider what to do in the situation. Use the step-by-step instructions below to complete the task.

How This Activity Connects to the Course

Ethical considerations matter in everything that you write in the workplace. You may well find yourself in a situation similar to this scenario once you graduate (or even sooner as an intern). This scenario considers the environmental impact of AI and whether to communicate about the impact with the public.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Success Tip

You can use the online texts, any notes that you have, and the available course pages in Canvas for help as you work on these questions. You can also talk to one another.

  1. Read the scenario below and consider the ethical dilemma involved for Faisal and the team members.
  2. In your your first post, do the following:
    1. Present a position statement that answers the question “What would you do in this situation?”
      • Provide reasoning from your own personal code of ethics. Here you focus on what YOU think is right.
      • Provide reasoning from your discipline’s code of ethics, OR Provide at least one supporting statement or example from the Ethics Resource Module.
    2. Explain what Faisal’s team should do in the future to avoid such situations.
  3. Read the posts from others in your group, paying attention to how you agree or disagree on their solutions.
  4. Write at least one additional post to discuss the solution your group will recommend and the actions Faisal’s team should take to avoid such dilemmas in the future.

The Scenario

The Environmental Impact of AI

A young Arabic-American man at his computer desk. He is deep in thought about a difficult situation
Image created with Midjourney

Faisal is a lead software engineer, who manages the use of AI at Piedmont Power, a public electric and gas utility company. The company has recently implemented generative AI to handle customer inquiries, provide usage reports, and send updates to company executives and engineers.

Scenario

Several environmental advocacy groups and concerned customers have raised questions about the carbon footprint and energy use associated with the AI models used by Piedmont Power. They are worried that the benefits of AI-driven communication might be outweighed by its environmental costs.

Faisal has been asked to address these concerns and must decide whether to incorporate these considerations into the company’s upcoming customer newsletter. He must also brief customer support coworkers on how to respond to these concerns and whether to prioritize environmental impact in their conversations with customers and the public.

Options for Faisal

  • Full Transparency: Faisal could propose a policy of full transparency, disclosing the environmental impact of AI usage and detailing the steps Piedmont Power is taking to mitigate these effects.
  • Green AI Initiative: Faisal could launch an initiative to invest in greener AI technologies, such as energy-efficient servers and carbon offset programs, and communicate these efforts to customers.
  • Customer Education Campaign: Faisal could create a campaign to educate customers about the benefits of AI in reducing overall energy consumption through optimized resource management, while acknowledging the current environmental impact.
  • Minimize Disclosure: Faisal could choose to provide minimal information about the AI’s environmental impact, focusing instead on the efficiency and the communications improvements it brings.
  • Enhanced AI Efficiency: Faisal could work with the technical team to enhance the efficiency of the AI system, reducing its energy consumption and resource use, and then communicate these improvements to customers.

Issues to Consider as You Decide What Faisal Should Do

  • Transparency and Trust: How important is it for Piedmont Power to be transparent about the environmental impact of their AI usage? What impact could this transparency have on customer trust and relationships?
  • Balancing Benefits and Impact: How should the company balance the benefits of AI-driven communication with its environmental impact? What factors should be considered in this balance?
  • Ethical Responsibility: What are the ethical responsibilities of Piedmont Power in addressing the environmental concerns associated with AI usage? How should these responsibilities influence their communication strategy?
  • Policy Implementation: How should Faisal implement a policy that addresses the environmental impact of AI? What guidelines and practices should be included to ensure clarity and consistency?
  • Customer Perception: How might different approaches to handling the environmental impact of AI affect customer perception and behavior? What factors should be considered in predicting this impact?

Conclusion

Faisal must balance the benefits of AI-driven communication with the ethical responsibility of addressing its environmental impact. Your discussion should explore the complexities of using AI in utility communications, emphasizing the importance of transparency, ethical considerations, and effective policy implementation.

Assessment

I will mark your participation in this Discussion Complete (or Incomplete) after the end of the Grace Period passes and I confirm that you have made at least two posts (required: one response to the original scenario, and a second in response to others in your class). Allow me several days to read and mark all your posts.